La Fortuna – Visiting the Ecocentro Danaus

Located just outside the small town of La Fortuna in Costa Rica, the Ecocentro Danaus is a biological reserve where visitors can see local flowers and wildlife. With over 150 species of birds in the area, there are also good opportunities for birdwatching

The centre covers an area of about 3 hectares of rain forest, crossed by trails that are easily accessible for visitors. In the area, there is also a garden with 60 different varieties of medicinal plants. As well, there are lots of colourful flowers in the rain forest, with lots of kinds of orchids and Heliconia.

One of the most popular attractions of the reserve is the butterfly farm. Here, they keep over 30 different species of butterflies on display. Visitors can see some of these butterflies at different stages of development: from larvae, to pupae, to fully grown winged creatures.

There are other residents of the bio-reserve that are also very popular with visitors, like for example the two and three-toed sloths. They can be observed from short distances as they slowly move between trees going about their daily life in their natural habitat. And if you keep your eyes open, you might see one of the tiny strawberry poison-dart frogs that roam freely in the forest.

The EcoCentro Danaus is open seven days a week, from 8 am to 4 pm. Tours normally last for about 1:30 to 2 hours. There are English-speaking guides available. Apart from the visits, they also accept foreign volunteers for periods of up to two months.

For more information about visiting and volunteering at EcoCentro Danaus, go to their website. And if you’d like to see more photos from my days in La Fortuna, Costa Rica; check out my gallery.

Bianca Bauza is a world citizen who spent almost four years traveling around South America and Europe. Her passions include photography, street art, outdoor sports, and cooking exotic dishes. She's now based in the Netherlands where she lives with her partner and young daughter. She still enjoys traveling, on her own or with her family, and is always looking for an opportunity to see new places.